LONGITUDINAL SEROLOGICAL STUDY OF MALARIA IN INFANTS IN WEST-AFRICAN SAVANNA - COMPARISONS IN INFANTS EXPOSED TO, OR PROTECTED FROM, TRANSMISSION FROM BIRTH

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 56  (4) , 573-578
Abstract
Two infant populations [in Nigeria], 1 exposed to intense malaria transmission and the other protected, were followed and compared by 6 serological tests. The Ig[immunoglobulin]G and IgM levels increased with age and were systematically, though only slightly, lower in the protected children. The results of 3 Plasmodium falciparum tests (precipitin, indirect fluorescent antibody [IFA] and indirect hemagglutination) and 1 P. malariae test (IFA) were high at birth and decreased rapidly afterwards in both populations. In the unprotected population, this decrease was followed by an increase, closely associated with the parasitological findings, while in the protected population the decrease continued to very low levels.